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COVID-19 has changed the workplace — possibly for the better. Organizations and workers have learnt over the last year and a half that jobs can be done efficiently regardless of location.

After noticing remarkable productivity rates and great employee happiness, several firms have adopted a hybrid or remote work configuration as their new normal. According to ManpowerGroup's 2021 Employment Outlook Survey, over half (59%) of businesses expect to offer flexible work alternatives in the future, with 20% enabling 100% remote work and 39% supporting remote work occasionally.

How can businesses continue to develop in this new normal to attract and retain workers? Organizations must understand workers' individual motivations and ensure they feel seen and heard when it comes to how, when, and where they want to work.

New work personalities arise

Global Practice Lead and Vice President of Talent Solutions Consulting at ManpowerGroup Grantley Morgan says seven distinct workforce personas are developing post-pandemic with varying demands in management, physical space, technology and socializing. Understanding these identities may help firms establish a more collaborative and effective workplace.

In leadership or field-based professions, Roamers often travel. Many Roamers move between the office, client sites, and third spaces, thus their moniker (e.g., coffee shops). Work-life balance is crucial to them, especially post-pandemic.

What they want: Companies can assist Roamers feel secure while they move about to conduct their tasks. For example, Marriott's work-from-anywhere day ticket allows employees to discover quiet offices in destinations across the world. The Nomads aim to balance life and work goals while having fun and meeting new people. Nomads thrive in social surroundings that support their outgoing dispositions, and they feel more productive when surrounded by people.

A more flexible working environment such as hubs and third spaces is preferred by nomads. This is similar to Spotify's new model, which allows workers to first pick a remote, hybrid, or office-based model, then select a nation and area as their base.

The Inventors value secure in-person cooperation. While technology has proved effective for client communication and team cooperation, inventors mourn the workplace as a creative social hub. They prefer conventional ways of labor over merely relying on digital technology. They value settings that foster spontaneous invention, learning, and team development in ways that technology cannot.

What they want: Companies may give Inventors a “hoteling” strategy, where employees rent a workstation ahead of time. This allows for secure small group gatherings.
The First-Timers are new employees who believe they have missed out on essential aspects of the onboarding process owing to remote working. They feel that genuine human connection is essential to a successful job.

What they want: Companies may allocate physical places for in-person training and other learning opportunities to make First-Timers feel more at ease and secure in their professions.

Employers, particularly senior management and key decision makers, must now accommodate the Commuters' demands for increased workplace flexibility.

They want: Satisfy Commuters by locating satellite offices near your employees' homes, reducing their daily commute time. Another alternative is to embrace a more flexible model that permits people to work only a few days a week. Vodafone, a telecommunications corporation, designed a workstation with zones for different sorts of work. Front-liners are people who work in supply chain, manufacturing, healthcare, and other vital services. While these tasks use modern technology, they must be performed in person rather than entirely behind a screen.

Front-liners prefer technology like customised applications like Beekeeper that allow workers to send and receive information without having direct access to corporate systems. These solutions assist workers re-acclimate to public transit and congested settings, improving their employment experience and health.

Like a home office, the Homers thrive on regularity and prefer a set work place where they can better manage their schedules, productivity, and deliverables. Homer's sharp attention comes from minimal distraction and being able to stay still.

What they want: Employers should explore providing Homers with modern technology and tools to make their work at home more pleasant and efficient.
Businesses must meet the demands of their employees regardless of employee persona. In today's volatile economy, small and large businesses alike may benefit from a more flexible working structure that promotes worker happiness without severely impacting the bottom line.